Auburn running back Meyer carries on after 2013 knee injury

AUBURN — The last time he set foot on a football field to play against Williamsville High School, Auburn’s Noah Meyer suffered an injury that’s often season-ending.

But the Trojans’ running back returned for the next game, and the three after that. He and his teammates came painfully close to playing one more game after that.

But fortunately for Meyer, he had time to get that knee fixed and prepare for one more season, starting tonight with a much-anticipated season opener at Williamsville.

And by the way, he could become the career rushing leader in Auburn history before long. Meyer enters 2014 with 2,521 career yards, 230 short of Gary Sergent’s record set from 1979-82. But that doesn’t seem to be very high on Meyer’s list of priorities.

“If you think about your stats during a game, you’re not being a team player,” Meyer said. “You’re being more selfish than you are helping the team.

“Near the end of the game, you can either encourage each other or yell at a guy for not doing his job. It should be all about the next play. What can you do to get better? How do you stay positive and keep going?”

Playing hurt

Meyer kept going into the postseason last year despite — unbeknownst to him — suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first half of the Week 9 Williamsville game.

He did sit out the rest of that regular-season finale, a 21-14 loss to unbeaten Class 3A Williamsville that actually was a confidence-builder for the 2A Trojans.

While the knee didn’t seem quite right throughout the playoffs, Meyer played in all four of the Trojans’ postseason games, culminated by a heartbreaking 32-28 Class 2A semifinal loss at Staunton.

The Auburn program has been known for its potent passing attack over the last decade, and last year senior quarterback Korben Clark set a school mark for passing yards (3,303).

But Meyer also had a lot to do with the Trojans setting a school record with 5,182 total yards. Meyer rushed for 1,565 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns, although he credited his offensive line for most of it.

Perseverance

Meyer remembers being hit on an Auburn pass play (to another teammate) in the first half of last year’s Williamsville game. Jesse Kessler filled the running back spot the rest of the game, but Meyer came back for the playoffs the following week.

“(The knee) was swollen, and running at top speed was the most obvious as far as pain goes,” Meyer said. “I could tolerate it, but I could tell something wasn’t right.”

Auburn team trainer Josh Grant, who works for SportsCare, said he checked the knee periodically during the Trojans’ playoff run.

“It’s the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Grant said. “It felt like a normal knee. We think his hamstring and (quadriceps) were so strong, they held the knee in place.”

It wasn’t until January, when swelling in the knee hadn’t subsided, that Meyer underwent an MRI that revealed the torn ACL along with torn meniscus and bone fractures in the femur and tibia.

“When I came out of the (MRI) machine, the radiologist said, ‘I don’t see how you’re walking right now,’” Meyer said. “It was like, ‘You have no ACL.’

“I have no regrets about finishing the season. I wouldn’t have changed anything. Even if I’d known I’d torn my ACL, I’d want them to put me on special teams or something, just to finish the season.”

After undergoing surgery in February, Meyer began the long rehab. Given Meyer’s reputation for work ethic, Auburn coach Dave Bates wasn’t surprised that Meyer was able to come back ahead of schedule.

“He’s very self-motivated and hard-working,” Bates said. “He’s probably the hardest worker I’ve had in the weight room. On top of that, I’m not sure if he’s gotten straight-A’s, but he’s darn close.”

Meyer admitted the injury — and his subsequent recovery — gave him a new perspective on taking the field.

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